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Scott Vaccaro was a student at Villanova when he decided to become a brewer. His parents objected when he opted to quit college and open a brewery. Luckily, Scott was as hardheaded about opening the brewery as he is about quality and innovation. Captain Lawrence Brewing Company is one of the best in the valley. The top four executives are all named Vaccaro, but what matters is the beer, from classic bottled beers to extravagant, cutting-edge brews that wine experts collect.

This beer is brewed with a huge amount of malt to give it a big roasty and smoky flavor. They say it’s as big and deep as a cold winter’s night, and the 15% ABV says they probably aren’t far from wrong. Frost Monster is brewed with two-row black malt, roasted barley, oats, crystal malt, and chocolate malt. That’s a lot of malt, and they use Columbus hops as well.

The beer pours with a big latte-colored head but without an extreme amount of lacing, which is surprising given the body. There’s no question what the backbone of this big, brawny beer is: malt. It’s big and roasty, and chocolate and dark stewed fruits such as dark cherry (like in a Bavarian Black Forrest Cake), come across on the nose. But don’t be fooled; this is all about the malt despite the aromas of coffee, mocha, bitter chocolate, baking cocoa, and a hint of sweet chocolate. This beer provides silky smooth drinking with a big mouthfeel. However, despite the high alcohol content, it is easy to drink. It’s not the heaviest Imperial you’ve ever had, but there’s plenty of taste and a nice long-lingering finish.

The beer would be incredible poured not just into a pint glass but into a snifter, because there are lots of good smells. It would go beautifully next to a cheese plate, just as it might stand up to a chocolate brownie sundae. This is a very impressive Imperial-style beer.